Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations.
There are many situations where homeowners might have to sell their house as quickly as possible, such as having to relocate to start a new job, ending an at-home relationship or simply needing to sell the current home to complete the transaction on a new home purchase.
Whatever the reason, there are strategies that can help you sell your home faster. We’ll walk you through the most common steps.
8 Creative Ways to Sell a House Fast
If you need to sell a house fast, consider these eight tips:
1. Choose an Experienced Agent
When time is of the essence, you can’t afford to take a chance on an inexperienced housing professional. Instead, you’ll want to work with a real estate agent who knows your market and has helped sellers in your situation before.
Start by browsing local “for sale” listings, and bookmark the ones that stand out for having great photos and compelling descriptions. One of the agents behind these kinds of listings could be a good choice as they’re going to be serious about getting your home sold in a timely manner. Referrals go a long way in the real estate business, so ask family and friends or your social media contacts if they have worked with a good agent in your area.
Make sure to look for an agent who has worked in your area for years and sells lots of homes. They’ll likely have connections that could help you find the right buyer. When you begin reaching out to prospective agents, let them know what your ideal closing timeline is to see if it’s realistic and how they can help you meet it.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to interview multiple agents: Most buyers go with the first one they talk to, but you might find a better fit by exploring several options. Once you’ve found an agent you like, verify their license with your state’s department of real estate. Also, check their online reviews or ask about previous clients that you could contact as references.
2. Set a Competitive Price
Look into what homes like yours in the same area have sold for recently, by researching online real estate websites. Then, calculate the price per square foot for these comparable sales. To do this, simply divide the price by the number of square feet. Take this number and apply it to your home’s square footage to get a reasonable starting price.
Keep in mind that you might want to raise this number if your home is objectively more desirable (for example, if it’s on a quiet cul-de-sac) or move it down if it’s less desirable (such as if the roof needs to be replaced).
Here’s why you might want to err on the side of underpricing your home when you list it:
- Your home will show up in more searches. Buyers often set a maximum price when they’re searching online listings. You don’t want to miss out on potential buyers because your listing price is $505,000 instead of $499,000. Buyers could also be willing to stretch their budgets a bit if they find a home they love.
- Buyers might bid up the price. If your home is priced below market value, you’re likely to get multiple offers. You could end up selling for what your home is actually worth, but the lower price might attract more attention and help you sell even faster.
If you’re working with a real estate agent, they’ll help you determine the right pricing strategy for your market. But if you’re going it alone, consider these strategies as a starting point.
3. Clean and Declutter Your Home
Cleaning and decluttering your home before listing it might sound like common sense. But browse through your local real estate listings, and you’re likely to find a few homes in disarray. This can be pretty unappealing to buyers, who will probably have a hard time imagining themselves moving in if clutter and trash are in the way.
If you don’t have the time or physical ability to take care of this on your own, your agent probably knows who you could hire to clean and declutter for you. If your budget is tight, consider asking friends or family for help.
4. Stage Your Home
After you’ve cleaned and decluttered, you can make it even easier for buyers to envision themselves in your home with professional home staging.
Depending on your budget and moving timeline, stagers can work with what you have or supply rented furniture and decor. While it’s possible to stage a home yourself, professionals will have experience with layout and design, and they know the tricks that can win buyers over—so it might be worth splurging on if you need to sell your home in a hurry.
Buyers’ agents say that buyers find the living room, master bedroom and kitchen to be the most important areas to stage, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). You can expect to spend $1,728 on average for home staging, with prices ranging from $749 to $2,825, according to HomeAdvisor. Your total cost could vary depending on factors like your home size, location and move-out cleaning costs.
5. Take Professional Listing Photos
Many buyers first see homes online, so providing excellent photos is key. Here are some factors that make for top-notch real estate listing photos:
- Cleaning, decluttering and staging beforehand
- Early morning or early evening light (also known as the golden hour)
- Supplemental lighting
- Framing and cropping every shot
- Avoiding obvious photo filters (these tend to look fake and might make it look like you’re hiding something)
- Wide-angle shots (but not so wide that they’re distorted or misleading)
- More than one perspective of each room
- Logical order, starting with an attractive exterior shot
- Avoiding accidental duplicates
You might also consider these extras to make your listing stand out:
- Drone shots: These can provide a sense of what the immediate surroundings and broader neighborhood are like. They’re also likely to be of higher quality and more current than the street views that buyers might see on Google Maps.
- 3D walkthroughs: These help buyers feel like they’re in your home and see how the layout flows.
6. Consider an iBuyer
If you’re looking to sell your home as quickly as possible, going with an iBuyer, or instant buyer, could be a good choice. iBuyers are technology-driven companies that purchase homes directly from buyers. They use computerized appraisals called automated valuation models (AVMs)—combined with photos, a virtual tour and a home inspection—to make cash offers, usually within 24 hours of receiving your information.
Unlike the typical selling process, you won’t have to worry about cleaning, staging or giving tours of your home, and you won’t need to hire an agent. But in return for this convenience, you’ll have to pay the iBuyer a service fee, typically 5% to 14% of the home’s sale price.
7. Choose a Financially Qualified Buyer
If a buyer has to close on a mortgage to buy your home, the process could take nearly two months. A cash buyer, on the other hand, might be able to close within days. However, most buyers have to finance their homes—so if you want to wait for a cash buyer, your options might be limited and could result in a lower selling price.
Another option to consider is a buyer who needs a mortgage but has a preunderwritten loan, which means the lender has thoroughly reviewed the buyer’s finances and approved them to spend a certain amount on a home. Preunderwriting is considered a step beyond preapproval. Final approval will depend on if the home appraisal is high enough and if the property meets any conditions the lender or loan program has.
8. Sell to Someone You Know
Selling to someone you already know—such as a friend or family member—can take the guesswork out of the home-selling process and help you avoid paying an agent’s commission with a for sale by owner (FSBO) property.
Three in four FSBOs sold in less than two weeks during 2020—though they also tended to sell for about 10% less than agent-listed homes, according to NAR. So while you might save on commissions, you could end up simply breaking even.
Also, keep in mind that selling to someone you know could lead to tension in your relationship if things don’t work out as planned.
How Fast Can You Sell a House After Buying It?
You can sell a home as soon as you’d like after buying it—though selling too fast might mean losing money on the costs of buying, selling and moving, along with diminishing or increasing equity.
It’s typically best to wait for a minimum of two years before you sell to offset the closing expenses with the equity you’re able to build during this time. But ultimately, you’ll have to decide if breaking even is worth waiting for, depending on your individual circumstances and need for selling.
If you have to get out of your house more quickly, be sure to take the potential losses into account ahead of time.
Faster, easier mortgage lending
Check your rates today with Better Mortgage.
LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) has acquired specialist UK logistics and industrial consultancy Burbage Realty Partners Limited (BRPL) as it continues its expansion in the growth sector.
Founded in 2017, BRPL provides a suite of services including strategic land, development funding, investment, lease advisory and occupational agency. Operating across the UK and a leader in the Midlands Grade A logistics market – a critical location for distribution centers and online retail fulfilment – its clients include many of the sector’s foremost developers and investors.
The strategic acquisition complements and strengthens Cushman & Wakefield’s UK Logistics & Industrial team, headed by Richard Evans, which has a strong occupier and investor client base. It also builds on the firm’s expansion of its sector teams across Europe through a succession of senior hires in key markets including Germany and Spain.
George Roberts, Head of UK & Ireland at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “This acquisition is another important milestone for the firm and reflects our ambitious growth plans in the UK. The BRPL team is highly experienced and greatly respected and their client focus is a perfect match for our own way of working. This deal significantly enhances our scale and capabilities in a strategic growth sector and allows us to offer a comprehensive range of logistics services to developers, investors, and occupiers across the country. We will continue strengthening our capabilities in strategically important areas to ensure we always have the skills, talent and insight required to deliver outstanding results for our clients.”
Richard Evans, Cushman & Wakefield’s Head of UK Logistics & Industrial, said: “The BRPL team’s established developer relationships and expertise, especially in large footprint logistics sites and strategic land, complement our existing strengths to create a powerful proposition for our clients.”
The acquisition will see eight new colleagues joining Cushman & Wakefield. Among these, Cameron Mitchell, George Underwood, and James Harrison will join as International Partners, while Franco Capella, Mark Thomas and Tom Kimbell join as Partners and Sophia Cooper as an Associate. The team will continue to be based at its current office in Northampton, while being integrated into Cushman & Wakefield’s national sector team.
They will work closely with other senior figures in the logistics team, including David Binks, Head of Cushman & Wakefield’s Logistics & Industrial team in the Midlands.
James Harrison, BRPL Managing Director, said: “We are thrilled to join forces with Cushman & Wakefield which is a great fit for us culturally. Its global platform brings scale, insight, and additional services meaning we are better placed than ever before to deliver for our clients across the UK. We are all excited about the opportunities ahead for us and our clients as part of one of the world’s leading commercial real estate firms.”
BRPL is owned separately to Burbage Realty Limited. The latter, founded in 2003 by John Burbage as a UK logistics and industrial property consultancy, is unaffected by this acquisition and remains an independent business under the ownership of Burbage Capital Limited.
About Cushman & Wakefield
Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global real estate services firm that delivers exceptional value for real estate occupiers and owners. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest real estate services firms with approximately 50,000 employees in over 400 offices and approximately 60 countries. In 2021, the firm had revenue of $9.4 billion across core services of property, facilities and project management, leasing, capital markets, and valuation and other services. To learn more, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com or follow @CushWake on Twitter.
About Burbage Realty Partners Limited
Founded in 2017, Burbage Realty Partners Limited is a specialist logistics and industrial consultancy that provides a suite of services including strategic land, development funding, investment, lease advisory and occupational agency across the UK.
Source: Cushman & Wakefield
Capita plc (‘Capita’) today announces that it has agreed to sell two real estate and infrastructure consultancy businesses to WSP for £60m on a cash-free, debt-free basis.
Taking into account cash-like and debt-like items, Capita expects to receive proceeds of c.£69m at completion.
The sale comprises two businesses: Capita Real Estate and Infrastructure (‘REI’) and GL Hearn (‘GLH’).
REI provides specialist advisory, design, engineering, environmental and project management services for land, building and infrastructure owners.
GLH provides advice to real estate developers, investors and occupiers across areas including planning and development, rating, valuation and occupier services.
The reported revenue and profit before tax of the two businesses combined for the year to 31 December 2021 were £88.6m and £5.1m respectively. The combined gross assets were £124.2m at 31 December 2021.
The sale is subject to certain consents.
The senior management teams and employees of REI and GLH will remain with their businesses as they transfer to the ownership of WSP.
Capita previously announced its intention to sell a number of non-core businesses to strengthen the balance sheet and focus on its two core divisions, Capita Public Service and Capita Experience.
The agreement to sell REI and GLH follows the completion this year of four other sales processes: Secure Solutions and Services, AMT Sybex, our two Specialty Insurance businesses, and Trustmarque.
Total proceeds from the non-core disposal programme will be more than £800m, following completion of the REI and GLH sale.
Jon Lewis, Capita’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are pleased to have agreed the sale of these two businesses to WSP following a competitive sale process.
“It marks another significant step, as we continue to simplify and strengthen Capita, and become a more successful business for the long term.
“At the same time, our REI and GLH colleagues and clients will join an established industry organisation with plans to take the businesses onto the next stage of their development.
“We will continue to execute on our plan at Capita to materially reduce debt through the disposal of non-core businesses.”
Capita is being advised on the REI and GLH transaction by Deloitte Corporate Finance.
For more information, please contact:
Investor enquiries
Stuart Morgan
Director of Investor Relations
Tel: 07989 665484
Email: IRteam@capita.co.uk
Media enquiries
Capita external communications
Tel: 0207 654 2399
Email: media@capita.co.uk
About Capita
Capita is a consulting, transformation and digital services business. Every day our 52,000 colleagues help millions of people, by delivering innovative solutions to transform and simplify the connections between government and citizens, businesses and customers. We partner with our clients and provide the insight and cutting-edge technologies that give time back, allowing them to focus on what they do best, and making people’s lives easier and simpler. We operate across three divisions – Capita Public Service, Capita Experience and Capita Portfolio – in the UK, Europe, India and South Africa. Capita is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (CPI.L). Further information can be found at: http://www.capita.com
About REI and GLH
Capita Real Estate and Infrastructure (REI) is a leading UK-based provider of specialist advisory, design, engineering, environmental and project management services for land, building and infrastructure owners.
GL Hearn (GLH) is a leading real estate business, providing cross-sector advice to developers, investors and occupiers with a strong market reputation across key service areas, including planning and development, rating, valuation and occupier services.
About WSP
WSP is a leading engineering professional services consulting firm which supports significant projects in both the built and natural environments. We provide engineering and design services to public and private sector clients in the transportation and infrastructure, property and buildings, earth and environment, power and energy, resources and industry sectors, as well as a strategic advisory offering. We have more than 50 offices across the UK and Ireland. Our team of over 7,000 technical specialists and strategic advisers in the UK is part of a talented family of more than 55,000 global changemakers, transforming what’s possible to build a smarter, greener future for all. Together, we deliver innovative solutions to solve complex problems for our clients and the communities we serve, meeting both the needs of today and addressing the challenges of tomorrow.
Global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield has acquired specialist UK logistics and industrial consultancy Burbage Realty Partners Limited (BRPL) as it continues its expansion in the growth sector.
Founded in 2017, BRPL provides a suite of services including strategic land, development funding, investment, lease advisory and occupational agency. Operating across the UK and a leader in the Midlands Grade A logistics market – a critical location for distribution centres and online retail fulfilment – its clients include many of the sector’s foremost developers and investors.
The strategic acquisition complements and strengthens Cushman & Wakefield’s UK Logistics & Industrial team, headed by Richard Evans, which has a strong occupier and investor client base. It also builds on the firm’s expansion of its sector teams across Europe through a succession of senior hires in key markets including Germany and Spain.
George Roberts, Head of UK & Ireland at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “This acquisition is another important milestone for the firm and reflects our ambitious growth plans in the UK. The BRPL team is highly experienced and hugely respected while their client focus is a perfect match for our own way of working. This deal significantly enhances our scale and capabilities in a strategic growth sector and allows us to offer a comprehensive range of logistics services to developers, investors, and occupiers across the country. We will continue strengthening our capabilities to ensure we always have the skills, talent and insight required to deliver outstanding results for our clients.”
Richard Evans, Cushman & Wakefield’s Head of UK Logistics & Industrial, said: “The BRPL team’s established developer relationships and expertise, especially in large footprint logistics sites and strategic land, complement our existing strengths perfectly to create a powerful proposition for our clients.”
The acquisition will see eight new colleagues joining Cushman & Wakefield. Among these, Cameron Mitchell, George Underwood, and James Harrison will join as International Partners, while Franco Capella, Mark Thomas and Tom Kimbell join as Partners and Sophia Cooper as an Associate. The team will continue to be based at its current office in Northampton, while being integrated into Cushman & Wakefield’s national sector team.
They will work closely with other senior figures in the logistics team, including David Binks, head of Cushman & Wakefield’s Logistics & Industrial team in the Midlands.
James Harrison, BRPL Managing Director, said: “We are thrilled to join forces with Cushman & Wakefield which is a great fit for us culturally. Its global platform brings scale, insight, and additional services meaning we are better placed than ever before to deliver for our clients across the UK. We are all excited about the opportunities ahead for us and our clients as part of one of the world’s leading commercial real estate firms.”
BRPL is owned separately to Burbage Realty Limited. The latter, founded in 2003 by John Burbage as a UK logistics and industrial property consultancy, is unaffected by this acquisition and remains an independent business under the ownership of Burbage Capital Limited.